Another Comeback For Sweep Of AFA

Reliever Blake Torgerson picked up his team-leading third win in a 10-5 victory over Air Force on Saturday. (Photo by Mark Philbrick/BYU Photo)

PROVO -- In another comeback game the BYU baseball team finished a three-game series sweep Saturday afternoon against Air Force, beating the Falcons 10-5.

The Cougars are now 12-10 on the season and 3-3 in the Mountain West Conference. BYU outplayed its opponent with 12 hits and 9 RBI. First baseman Kasey Ko hit the game-winning RBI in the seventh to solidify the Cougar victory.

"Our guys are playing with a great deal of confidence right now, and things worked out in our favor today," said BYU head coach Vance Law.

The game got underway late in the third inning as centerfielder Kent Walton hit a single to shallow right field, which allowed shortstop Brandon Relf to advance to third base. Relf then stole home to score the first run of the game, when a wild pitch got behind the Falcons'catcher.

The Cougars went on to score in the fourth inning when Musso hit a two-run RBI double down the third base line making it a 3-0 game against the Falcons.

At the top of the fifth, with Air Force at one out, BYU turned a grounder to shortstop into a double-play to end the inning and keeping the Falcons to only two hits on the game in the fifth. Leading off for the Cougars, Relf hit an inside the park homerun, the only hit of the inning for BYU, to make the Cougars lead 4-0.

The Falcons got their first run of the game early in the sixth inning, scoring off an error by the Cougars. Air Force went on to score two more runs, making it a 4-3 game. With no outs the Josh Meents hit a stand-up double to right field to score two more runs and take the 5-4 lead over the Cougars. With no outs and two on base relief pitcher Blake Torgeson came in to help shut down the Falcons' momentum.

BYU responded offensively when designated hitter Bryce Ayoso scored off a sacrifice fly, hit by McNaughton, to tie the game 5-5 at the end of the sixth.

A single hit by Ko in the seventh inning allowed Kent Walton to score and take the lead. The Cougars finished the inning leading the Falcons 10-5.

"Regaining the lead always pumps me up," Law said. "Even when Air Force Scored five runs I felt we would be able to bounce back, and that's what we did. This is a game we needed to have to help pull us for next week."

The Cougars will next face two-time defending national champion Oregon State early next week. The games will take place at Miller Park on Monday at 3 p.m. and Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Torgerson said the team is excited and looking forward to the series against the Beavers.

"The home crowd really gets us going," Torgerson said. "We have built some confidence at home for our hitters and pitchers. We feel that we can beat about anyone."